In a showcase on the upper level of the iconic Melbourne stadium rests a neon pink outfit performed in by the entertainer. The performance in front of 100,024 spectators was considered a triumph.
It's possible you like the performer. Maybe you feel he is the greatest gift to music known to man. Or you could adopt a reasonable stance, conceding that some hits are fantastic while others are poor.
The central idea is that entertainment can manifest in countless ways. You like what you like. There is no one way to craft art or even Test cricket.
The Unrivalled Depth of Test Cricket
The five-day game boasts incomparable variety. It is hard to think of another sport where the contest is so dictated by the environment.
The weather, the time of day, the red ball – the factors are countless. Crucially is the wicket.
If the format is a form of art, the wicket is the canvas on which the players craft their legacy.
A Test of Cubism: The Fourth Test
The Boxing Day fixture between the old rivals was Test cricket cubism, the great game dismantled and reassembled in an unusual manner.
It must be stated this is not a justification of the wicket which produced a triumph and the another short match of the series.
Allowing excessive grass on the surface, causing a cascade of wickets being taken in less than two days, is not a balanced duel between bat and ball.
A Varied History: The Core of Test Cricket
But any idea this was a inferior show, one that should be footnoted as not a proper Test, is wide of the mark.
Test cricket is a diverse canvas, a long history and ongoing. On occasion, as seen at the MCG, the cricket ball moves excessively for the seamers. Sometimes, it grips and turns on a dust bowl. Sometimes, the pitch is flat as a pancake, other times it spits like a cobra.
The close matches are all the more thrilling owing to the investment made elsewhere.
Problem Solving: The Core Skill
Specific conditions are embraced more easily than others.
The argument in Melbourne was that the contest was skewed excessively towards the bowlers. That the top batters were prevented from demonstrating their skill.
The format is about problem solving – assessing the conditions and adjusting appropriately. The top two individual scores were made by acknowledged batters. One team was less disciplined than the other, and thus lost.
Unbridled Joy: The Supporters' View
Attempt to convince the fans who have endured a long drought that this wasn't compelling.
In one section of the stadium, countless fans made noise and sang their songs, generating a festive mood in a heartland of Australian cricket.
There was hope as the bowlers surged, momentum when the top order scored quickly, and pure joy when the victory was achieved.
Extreme Ends: The Spectrum of Test Matches
The Melbourne has a history with pitch problems. Previously, a Test there featured a strip with all the life of a a non-event.
That fixture was a slog, with minimal action and endless boredom. The latest encounter and that slow Test are extreme ends of the spectrum – neither perfect, yet historical weight can be ascribed to each.
Deep into the series into the Ashes contest, it is the shortest games that will be most remembered in the memory.
"Far from being the demise of the format at all," commented a past champion. "The people who have been fortunate to see these 48 hours have been experienced some fantastic sport. Different entertainment."
Baby Steps: Looking Ahead
In the lead-in to this Test, the captain talked like a man carrying the enormous pressure on his back.
The team delivered for him, bringing back the positive demeanor to his persona.
Emerging talents stepped up with crucial roles. These are small positives, not nearly enough to secure long-term futures, but a foundation to develop from.
At the very least, this triumph takes its place among other memorable performances in similar circumstances.
As the supporters departed into a stunning sunset, the players gathered on the field to start their own enjoyment.
Celebrate the win, boys. This victory was hard-fought.
